3rd Asia Future Conference Asian Cultural Dialogue Report

SGRA Report Special issue

AFC3 Round Table

The 1st Asian Cultural Dialogue

“Religious Responses to Changing Social Environments in Southeast Asia”

 

September 30, 2016 (Fri) 9:00～12:30
Venue： Kitakyushu International Conference Center, Conference Room

 

Aim of Forum:
Southeast Asia is a mosaic of different ethnicities, religions, and socio-cultural contacts. Following liberation from colonial domination, Southeast Asian countries struggled to integrate their various ethnicities and religious cultures as part of the process of nation-building. Under the increasing influence of globalization since the 1990s, these nation-states are once again confronted with profound social transformations and upheavals.
While Southeast Asian countries as a whole have seen rapid economic development due to the effects of the global spread of market economies, they have simultaneously experienced an increase in social inequality, environmental degradation, violations of human rights, and religious and ethnic conflicts. This situation has raised doubts about the sustainability of the current economic, social, and economic systems. Based on their respective religious values and ethics, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, and other religious leaders have been at the forefront of voicing powerful critiques of these destructive trends and their underlying causes. However, despite the fact that these religions aim for peace, the wellbeing of society, and the happiness of mankind, many tend to see in religion a main cause of these recent conflicts and frictions.
This roundtable seeks to address this one-sided perception of the role of religion. Based on case studies presented by researchers from this region, the roundtable will further engage researchers active in Japan to discuss how religions can contribute to fostering sustainable social, political, and economic development.

 

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Sekiguchi Global Research Association (SGRA)

Atsumi International Foundation